


The Monster in the Manor

by preciousbunnynoiz



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxious Katsuki Yuuri, Beauty and the Beast AU, Body Horror, Chronic Illness, Depressed Victor Nikiforov, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Isolation, Loneliness, M/M, Magic, Medication, Panic Attacks, Supportive Victor Nikiforov, Touch-Starved, frozen elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-05-20 03:46:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14887019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preciousbunnynoiz/pseuds/preciousbunnynoiz
Summary: "Remember if things aren’t marked on your map it’s usually because that’s where monsters live”When Victor hears Yakov's current apprentice's tale about a mysterious manor in the woods and it's churlish host he decides that's exactly what he needs to break him out of his apathetic existence.Once in the woods he finds the manor but the servant's aren't enchanted and the monster is just a beautiful young man but one who insists that there is a curse and that he is a monster.There is a mystery here and Sorcerer Victor Nikiforov is determined to uncover the answers and save Yuuri from his self imposed prison.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Yes I'm trying to post things with multiple chapters again! I know I have multiple wips I need to get back to but this is what's breaking through my writers block so I'm going to start with this one.
> 
> it's a different take on Beauty and the Beast but I hope you like it.

Yuri was cursing Victor, Yakov, the forest, and himself for getting lost.

It was getting dark and he didn’t know what he was going to do. He hadn’t meant to get seperated he just needed to piss and didn’t want to stop the others. 

He thought he’d be able to catch back up not end up wandering a forest at night.

Fuck.

He was boned.

He was doomed he was….at a gateway?

The fuck?

He looked up and yes, he was standing in front of a gate that lead to a manor house of some kind. 

In the middle of nowhere.

That was pretty weird and Yuri would have assumed it was abandoned due to the grounds being a bit wild if not for the lights in some of the windows.

As he stared his stomach decided to remind him that he hadn’t eaten since noon and that he had missed dinner time by several hours.

Best to take a chance.

The gate opened easily and Yuri let himself in cautiously. 

Strolling up the pathway to the house he shivered. It was...weird here. He felt like he was intruding on something he shouldn't.

Still beggars can't be choosers.

He knocked on the door and scowled at the echo. 

He wasn't afraid! He wasn't!

He also totally did not jump when the door opened.

"Hello?" a female voice asked.

"Hi, I got lost? I was wondering if I could stay the night?" Yuri asked trying to punch down on his nerves.

The door opened wider revealing a pretty brown haired woman in a maids uniform. 

"Oh my goodness! Of course! And you're just a child! Come in come in! I'll have my husband make you something to eat. 

She stepped to the side allowing Yuri to slip past her.

"Oh you poor thing!" 

Yuri, feeling decidedly off balance, allowed her to fuss him into the brightly lit and cosy kitchen, setting him down at the table.

She disappeared and returned with a big beefy man who greeted Yuri warmly before moving around the kitchen with a clatter.

"Were you headed to the village?" the maid, who he now knew was called Yuuko, asked.

"Yeah, my mentor and his former apprentice and I were travelling around the kingdom and are going to be in the village for a bit. My master wants me to understand the kingdom better. 

"Oh that sounds exciting! But that's good because I can show you the way to the village tomorrow when I go to do the shop" Yuuko said with a smile as her husband put down a plate of food in front of Yuri and god bless these people who knew how to feed a teenage boy.

"Thanks a bunch, you really saved me back there" and if Yakov knew he was thanking someone the old geezer would have an actual heart attack.

But Yuuko and Takeshi were nice and more importantly they had fed him.

After eating, Yuuko showed Yuri to a room and promised to wake him up come morning.

The next morning he had breakfast in the kitchen with Yuuko, her husband, and a boy not much older then Yuri named Minami.

Apparently there were two other servants, the valet Phichit and the steward of the house Minako but they were with the master of the house.

"Who is the master?" Yuri asked between bits of sausage.

Yuuko hesitated, her smile faded a little bit before she answered.

"He's...a private person" was her enigmatic reply but before Yuri could question it she'd steered the conversation to other topics.

He had a bit of time to kill after breakfast while he waited for Yuuko to gather her things and check things with the steward so Yuri spent it examining some of the tapestries in the front hall.

He heard footsteps approach and the stop suddenly. He turned, expecting Yuuko but instead seeing a man with dark hair and a frankly pissed off expression.

Immediately Yuri felt defensive.

“Who are you and why are you in my home?” the man demanded none too gently.

“I got lost and Yuuko let me stay the night and who might you be  _ asshole _ ” Yuri growled not bothering to give his name.

The man straightened his shoulders as he full on glared at Yuri.

“I am the master of this house and since you’ve been here apparently at my hospitality I would expect you to have better manners.” The man snapped.

“You’re not the one who invited me in” Yuri snapped back.

“Of course not, if it had been me answering the door at the late hour you knocked I would have warned you away. And if you had addressed me in such a churlish manner I might have decided to let you in.” The man walked over to Yuri purposefully, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled the astonished teen over to the door.

“What are you doing!?” Yuri yelled trying to pull back his arm only to find it in an iron grip.

“I’m doing you a favour boy,” the man said as he pulled open the door and pushed Yuri through, “go away and remember if things aren’t marked on your map it’s usually because that’s where monsters live” 

At those strange words the man slammed the door in Yuri’s face, leaving him confused and angry beyond belief on the front step.

 

“Can you believe it Victor!?” The boy groused hours later when he found himself back with his companions at the inn Yuuko had led him to (after many apologies about her master’s behavior). After both Yakov and Victor had berated him for getting lost he had told him the entire story once they were back in their rooms.

“Well you were quite rude, did you even offer to pay back the kindness you were shown” Victor asked with frown.

“Of course not! First off he didn’t show me any kindness and second why the fuck does it matter?” 

Victor sighed deeply. 

“Yuri you know better. You’ve left yourself in his debt and that’s not a good place for a sorcerer to be” at that Yuri blushed angrily because he  _ did _ know but he didn’t want to see the weirdo again.

“I’m not going back” He said stubbornly.

“Of course not, with your sense of direction who knows where you’ll end up. I’ll go” 

“Victor” Yakov warned.

“I’ll be fine Yakov. Just stay here and if I’m not back in a week I’m sure Mrs Nishigori will bring you the reason why”

And that’s what Victor did.


	2. Chapter 1: Many Questions No Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor arrives at the Manor

Victor found himself staring at the Manor.

For all of Yuri’s story he hadn’t  _ really _ expected to find a strange Manor in the woods but the innkeeper gave him vague directions of “where Mrs Nishigori goes” and surprisingly he found the Manor in question.

He got immediately why Yuri had gotten such a weird vibe from the place. The grounds were overgrown and the building was a little worse for wear on the outside but there was a crackle of energy around the place. Like the building was waiting for something. It was strange and off putting but that’s what made this so  _ thrilling. _

True he  **had** come to make sure Yuri’s debt was paid but honestly he had mainly come because he was bored.

Nothing was interesting him anymore and he just felt...lethargic.

But this…

This was interesting.

He made his way to the front door and felt a shiver of excitement go up his spine. Whatever the secret this place held he was looking forward to finding it out.

At his knock the door was answered by Yuuko.

“Yes?” she asked with a smile.

“Ah yes, thank you Mrs Nishigori for helping my companion Yuri get back to us but I’m afraid things have been left a tad unfinished. Could I see the master of the house?” 

Yuuko’s bright smile dimmed.

“Oh...um...the Master is quite private…” 

“It would only take a moment” 

Yuuko bit her lip but nodded, her expression troubled...but maybe almost hopeful? Victor wasn’t sure but he followed her eagerly.

The inside of the Manor was very different from the outside. Inside was meticulously maintained with the surfaces so clean you could have eaten off any of them. 

The decoration was minimal but tasteful. Comforting even...and familiar in a way that didn’t make sense.

Yuuko led Victor to a door that must have led to a study.

“Enter” a male voice called at her knock.

Yuuko did so with Victor close behind.

When Victor saw the man behind the desk he got another shot of deja vu which made no sense as he had never seen the man or the manor before in his life.

The man was very attractive though. He didn’t have the obvious beauty of outstanding physical features. His looks much like his height (once he stood up) was average but he had an intensity about him that made everything he did beautiful.

Even his gaze turned into something more than just a pair of plain brown eyes by the way they pierced you. 

Victor felt his breath catch as the man almost glared at him before turning those eyes to Yuuko, allowing Victor to breathe normally again.

“What’s the meaning of this Yuuko?” he asked harshly.

“Master Yuuri, Mr Nikiforov is a companion of Mr Plisetsky, he has something to discuss with you. He said it wouldn’t take long.” 

Katsuki tched but nodded dismissing Yuuko, he sat back down at his desk and started looking through his papers.

“Why are you here Mr. Nikiforov? I would like to have this over with and you gone as soon as possible” without the man’s eyes on him Victor found himself much better at thinking.

The mystery of this place and the tightly wound energy was definitely centered on the man sat in front of him. 

That probably explained the deja vu. His magic must be catching on the...whatever of this man. 

There was no way Victor was leaving before he had answers but that might be difficult with such a host.

“Yuri told me he was quite rude to you this morning, and that’s just not acceptable. Especially after such kindness was shown to him so I have come to clear his debt.” Victor explained as he noted how tense Master Yuuri was in his presence despite the act to the contrary.

“That won’t be necessary. I freely forgive the boy and absolve him of any debt. There, now you may go.”

Victor expected that however.

“Oh that’s very kind of you but by doing that you’re doing me a favour so now I’m afraid I need to stay until I can figure out an appropriate way to thank you.” Victor couldn’t help but grin at the way the man finally looked at him, his mouth agape.

“What? No! It’s fine!” the man could protest as much as he wanted but it wasn’t going to do him any good.

“I’m afraid it’s just how it has to be” Victor replied with a shake of his head, “That’s fine I’ll go find Mrs. Nishigori and tell her I’ll be staying for the foreseeable future.

“What!?” The man jumped to his feet though he seemed more bewildered then angry, “You  _ can’t! _ What about Mister Plisetsky! Isn’t he your charge?”

“Pfft no. We simply have the same Master or rather it’s more  _ had _ in my case. I’m only with them because the old man requested my presence but he’ll be fine with dealing with Yuri on his own” Victor waved him off and silently was glad Yakov would not be there to scream at him when he found out.

“Well I’ll go get settled then shall I?” Victor turned and walked out trying not to laugh at the noise of Master Yuuri trying and failing to stop him.

Outside the room he found Yuuko waiting.

“Mrs Nishigori I’ll be staying for the foreseeable future. Could you find me a suitable room please?” he asked causing her to stare at him.

“NO HE WON’T!” Yuuri yelled behind him having finally reached the doorway.

“Of course I will silly,” Victor winked at Yuuko for good measure. She looked between the two of them before grinning back.

“Of course Mr. Nikiforov” 

“YUUKO!” 

“I’ve got the perfect room for you, I’m assuming you left your bags on the front step? Yes? Good. I’ll have Minami bring them up after I’ve showed you to your room” Yuuko seemed to be enjoying herself immensely.

“No you won’t because he won’t be staying!” Yuuri yelled again.

“Just one moment Mrs. Nishigori-”

“Yuuko Please”

“-Yuuko” Victor turned around and placed his elbow against the doorframe above Yuuri’s head and leaned in so he could speak into the other man’s ear.

“Master Yuuri, or whoever you are, I believe Yuri coming to your door was no accident. This place and you yourself are intriguing and I intend to learn all I can about you. I will not harm you or yours I just want a chance to find out why you told Yuri there were monsters when all I can see is a beautiful young man hiding himself from the world.” 

Master Yuuri who had been holding himself stiff, his ears red, took a step back and looked Victor right in the eye.

“I told him a monster lives here because that’s what I am thanks to a curse. If you want to risk your life that’s your business.” and before Victor could figure out what Yuuri meant he found the door slammed in his face.

Victor allowed himself a private smile of triumph before turning back to Yuuko.

“Shall we?” 

 

The room was as nice as advertised and like the rest of the manor meticulous in its cleanliness.

“My Yuri told me that there were only five of you outside of Master Yuuri. How do you keep this place so clean?” 

“Oh! Well we only keep the wings of the manor that are used in this condition. The rest we just make sure are structurally sound and dust once a month. If you need anything in the night just let me or my husband know. Our rooms are just down the hall.” Yuuko must of caught his look of surprise and grinned, “Master Yuuri isn’t fond of the class system at the best of times but he really didn’t feel comfortable with us staying in servants quarters when it was just the six of us. He’s…” Yuuko hesitated, “Can I sit down?”

“Of course!” 

Yuuko sat down in one of the two chairs by the fireplace and Victor took the other one.

“Master Yuuri is not what he appears to be. I know he can seem mean or rude but he’s actually a very good man! I’ve known him since I was a girl! He asked that only volunteers come with him and me and my husband were the first to put our hands up! Minami came only a few years ago, sent by the family. They worry so…” Yuuko clenched her fists in her lap “I just ask that you give him a chance Mister Nikiforov”

“Victor”

Yuuko’s head snapped up, looking more like he had threatened to kill her master then anything.

“What!?”

“That’s my name: Victor” he was very confused by how horrified she looked, “I promise I will give him a chance. I understand that there is more to Master Yuuri than what meets the eye” 

Yuuko relaxed but still looked troubled.

“Thank you then, I better go inform Minako though by now she and Phichit probably already know” she stood and bowed slightly before leaving Victor with even more questions.

She was right, because hardly five minutes had passed before two more people were in his room.

One of whom was a stately woman who walked with a slight limp thanks to one leg missing from the knee down. It had been replaced by one that was, at least to all appearance, made of fine china with a pattern of flowers. 

Whoever she was she had access to magic fine enough to construct her a very beautiful and clearly expensive prosthetic. 

Standing behind the chair she had decided to sit in was a young man with dark skin and a very cheerful disposition. 

“So from what I understood from Master Yuuri’s rantings you have forced yourself into our home and refuse to leave in order to drive him, personally, crazy.” 

“With your stupid pretty face and stupid stuck up arrogance” the man added.

“Yes thank you Phichit” 

“A little bit. Not to drive him crazy with my face or my arrogance but because I feel like I’m meant to be here. Master Yuuri is an intriguing challenge but I promise you I mean him and the rest of you no harm” 

The lady who he assumed was Minako glared at him and he got the weird sense of deja vu again and had to repress a shiver even as he met her gaze.

Finally she sighed and stood up.

“Fine. Trial basis. If you upset Master Yuuri too much I will ask you leave at the end of the week, do you understand Mr. Nikiforov?”

Victor stood up with her and bowed.

“I do and please call me Victor” he straightened up to see Phichit looking like he’d just heard Victor declare himself the son of a demon. What was the big deal about his name?

“Well shit” Phichit bit his lip and even Minako looked blank. Like she was keeping herself from revealing anything

“This will make things more...challenging yes.” Minako seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

“I’m sorry?”

“Nevermind us,” Minako snapped her fingers breaking Phichit out of...whatever had just happened, “We’ll leave you to get settled Victor. We have dinner in the kitchens at seven.”

“I guess I’ll see the others and Master Yuuri then” 

Minako frowned.

“Master Yuuri does not eat with us”

“Oh in which case-”

“You will however.”

“Oh but I was hoping-”

“We will see you at seven”

And then Victor was alone again.

Just what was going on in this place?


	3. Hiding and Finding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri's POV

It had been two days since Mister Nikiforov had arrived at the manor and Yuuri was still hiding from the man.

Mister Nikiforov made him feel very flustered. He was no longer used to people getting that close to him. 

Minako and the others, even Phichit, never touched Yuuri nor dared to enter the invisible bubble of personal space he’d built around himself. 

So he had not been at all prepared for a frankly gorgeous man to lean in so his lips were brushing his ear and tell him that  _ he’s _ beautiful.

“Stupid man” Yuuri muttered as he slowly eased up the window of his room. Phichit had been on his case this morning about staying still and not running away from their guest. He had even gone so far as plant himself just outside of Yuuri’s door to keep him from running.

Phichit should really have known better.

Once the window was open Yuuri eased one leg out, ducking his head under the frame so he was more out of the window then in it. 

Carefully he reached over to the trellis, making sure he had a firm foothold as well as a handhold before easing the rest of him out the window.

Within moments he was dropping to the grass below, satisfied with his escape. With any luck Phichit would give up his quest to make Yuuri play nice with their “guest”.

God even the thought of that arrogant, pompous, handsome, nice smelling man infuriated Yuuri beyond belief. 

I mean who even had silver hair in real life! 

Long beautiful silver hair that was probably silky soft to the touch...

Anyway! It was stupid looking.

Yuuri sighed in relief as he reached his destination. He wouldn’t be able to stay here long, Phichit would be sure to look for him here, but it would at least settle him and he could feel the anxiety crawling up his arms already.

Damn that man for throwing him off.

Pushing the thought of a certain silver haired asshole out of his mind he opened the door to the kennels, laughing as the four poodles who lived there rushed him with tails wagging excitedly.

“How are my precious puppies today?” Yuuri asked sitting down to let the dogs better access to him. 

He always felt calmer with the dogs. They didn’t fear him. They didn’t shy away or tremble if he got too close. 

Phichit, Yuuko and the others...as much as they were at the manor willingly...they still winced if he got too close.

Yuuri wrapped his arms around the nearest dog, a brown poodle he was particularly fond of.

Nikiforov hadn’t been afraid to get close either but he also hadn’t known why he should fear Yuuri. If he knew what Yuuri had done, the blood on this hands...Nikiforov would run like the others.

Yuuri hid his face against the soft brown fur.

“Wow! So many good puppies!”

Yuuri froze. He heard the other three dogs leave his side but Lady stayed with him. She always knew when Yuuri needed comfort, but still his heart was beating wildly.

_ “Calm down, calm down!” _ Yuuri thought desperately. He needed to keep the panic at bay.

Fuck! Footsteps were getting closer.

“Hey,”

Yuuri curled in to Lady tighter as a body dropped to the floor next to him.

“Are you okay?” a hand touched Yuuri’s back and the next moment Yuuri was on the other side of the kennel. The spot on his back burning from the simple touch. His heart was in his throat as he stared at Nikiforov who stared back at him with wide blue eyes. 

The man blinked and then relaxed and patted the ground beside him.

“You can come back I won’t bite.”

But Yuuri couldn’t move.

“You touched me” Yuuri literally couldn’t remember the last time a human touched him.

“Yes? I won’t if you don’t like it?” Nikiforov of course didn’t understand but he was still patting that spot, like Yuuri wasn’t a monster.

“It’s not that I don’t like it” Yuuri muttered finally moving himself over, Lady was still waiting patiently for him. He sat about a foot further away then the spot Nikiforov indicated on principal. 

Lady immediately walked over and lay on his lap for optimum head scritches. Of course that pinned Yuuri which Nikiforov took advantage of to move closer.

“Then why’s it such a big deal to touch you?” Kiki and Monarch were all over the tall stranger in their midst who laughed and cooed at them while Yuuri tried to figure out how to answer such a loaded question.

“People don’t touch me” he finally answered, Snowball snuggled under his free arm for pets, providing a perfect excuse not to look at the man next to him.

“The puppies do?” 

“Humans don’t” Yuuri stated firmly, trying to end that line of conversation.

“They also don’t eat with you, or spend much time with you do they? I know what that’s like” that got Yuuri to look at him.

“What?” Nikiforov asked with bitter laughter when he took in Yuuri’s astonishment, “You think you’re the only one who’s ever hid off by themselves? Only I saw people everyday. The Great Victor Nikiforov! Not that any one of them actually knew me. I hid too, I just did in plain sight.”  

“Of course you’d be named Victor” Yuuri decided to focus on that rather than unravel the rest.

“What’s the big deal with my name? Everyone here looks at me like I say I eat babies when I say my name” Victor grumbled and that at least got Yuuri to giggle. Of course the idiots would get worked up over a name.

His Victor was much more than a name.

“It’s because when I was younger...when I was cursed…” Yuuri’s smile fell as he looked away, but he soldiered on, “When I was cursed I killed my best friend. His name was Victor” 

“Oh Yuuri...I’m sorry” 

Yuuri shrugged and concentrated on the soft fur under his hands. He had to pull his mind away from the memory of blood and pain….

“I’m not him though”

Yuuri looked up in surprise.

“I know that.” he replied honestly, “I know you aren’t him, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t blood on my hands” Yuuri looked away again.

“I’m a murderer Victor. I killed two people that day and have maimed many more. I meant it when I said I was a monster.” Yuuri stood up, dislodging the dogs. He turned to look Victor in the eye.

“You asked why no one touches me. It’s because they fear me. And they should. Now that you know you can go. There is nothing but a monster here” 

Yuuri didn’t know what he expected to have happen but it wasn’t what actually happened.

Victor stood carefully and actually stepped into Yuuri’s space.

“I still see no monsters. I see someone who is as lonely and touch starved as myself. You don’t frighten me Master Yuuri. I can take care of myself. Besides, Don’t you wish to be free of your curse?”

He was too close! Much too close!

“More than anything” and goddamnit his voice was too breathy. 

A hand reached out and gently cupped Yuuri’s cheek. The feel of it was overwhelming, leaving Yuuri trembling uncontrollably.

“Then let me try”

They stayed like that, staring into each other’s eyes for what seemed like a lifetime.

And Yuuri knew this wasn’t real. The man would leave as soon as the dark days hit but for now...god did Yuuri want to believe him.

“...Okay” 


	4. Getting to Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Victor take the first steps in learning about each other

Yuuri was nothing like Victor expected.

The other people in the manor had led him to expect something different though what exactly he couldn’t say. 

He certainly hadn’t expected to share the name of someone Yuuri apparently believed he murdered.

(Victor had his own thoughts on that. Yuuri didn’t seem the type to intentionally kill anyone.)

But at least after their fortuitous meeting in the kennels Yuuri agreed to stop actively hiding from Victor.

Though he wasn’t exactly welcoming either. 

Victor let him go after Yuuri agreed to let him do his magic. It was clear the man was so unused to physical contact that it overwhelmed him.

But then how long had it been since Victor last touched someone willingly like that? Could he judge Yuuri when his defenses were just as strong?

And what was it about Yuuri that made him want to lower those defenses?

It was with this pensive mindset that Victor went to find Yuuko. 

He found the young woman practically glowing as she chatted at the others about how excited she was to be pregnant.

(She had just found out for sure that morning, the physician in town had confirmed it) 

Victor quietly joined the group. Yuuko of course noticed him immediately and smiled. 

“Hello Victor is everything alright?” that was Yuuko, always so diligent in her duties.

“Everything is wonderful, I just wanted to tell you that I’ll be taking my meals with Master Yuuri from now on” 

Immediately the jolly mood around the other five soured. 

“Master Yuuri eats alone” Minako said firmly.

“He did. Now he’ll eat with me” Victor was not going to budge on this. There was no reason to let Yuuri isolate himself so much.

“Mister Nikiforov, I have let you disrupt our household with your childish whims but you need to be aware of and to respect the rules we have in place. They are for your own safety” Minako was being as imposing as she could but two could play that game. 

Victor did not become the premier sorcerer in the three kingdoms without having learned this dance.

“I was under the impression that Master Yuuri was a kind man, a diamond in the rough if you will” he did not glance at Yuuko and Phichit as he said this but both blushed and looked away.

“He is, but he is also dangerous.” Minako’s hand twitched to her missing leg but she never broke eye contact with Victor.

“So am I. I can take care of myself and deal with the risks” Victor and Minako stared each other down. Neither of them willing to give.

The sound of someone clearing their voice from the doorway behind Victor was what made them break, both turning to the sound.

Yuuri stood in the doorway shifting his weight from one foot to the other uneasily. 

Victor, again on some compulsion he didn’t fully understand, moved to stand next to him. Carefully, so as not to startle him, Victor laid a reassuring hand on Yuuri’s shoulder. He tried to ignore the gasps from the others, instead drinking in the look of wonder and gratitude Yuuri shot him.

“Um...it’s okay Minako. Victor can take his meals with me if he so wishes” 

There was a long silence, Victor could feel the tension in Yuuri’s shoulder as he rubbed his thumb back and forth in an attempt to offer comfort.

“If that is your wish” Minako did not seem pleased but she agreed. Victor felt some of the tension bleed out from Yuuri before the man stepped away.

“Thank you. Phichit, Lady and Snowball decided I needed a layer of poodle fur and slobber. Could you come and help me pick out some decidedly cleaner clothing?” Yuuri asked as he carefully did not look at Victor.

“Of course Yuuri!” the valet followed Yuuri out of the room and the rest seemed to take that as their cue to go about their day leaving Minako and Victor alone.

“I hope you know what you’re doing” Minako said ominously.

Victor ignored her as he left the room. He had to write a letter to Yakov explaining the situation. 

 

“What the fuck Yuuri! What the actual fuck!” 

“It’s not that big of a deal Phichit!” but of course it was. He hadn’t expected Victor to go head to head with Minako about sharing his meals but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t eager to share a meal with another human.

“Yuuri with all due respect it’s a huge fucking deal! You never break your rules like this! What changed?”

Yuuri gripped the edge of his desk, his throat closing up. There was so much that had changed. Yuuri hadn’t realised how much he missed company, what it felt like to be around someone who wasn’t scared of him.

Phichit, carefully observing Yuuri’s boundaries, leaned into view.

“Hey,” his features softened as he took in Yuuri’s face, “You know we’d eat with you if you wanted. We only keep our distance because you said you feel more comfortable that way” 

“And if I lost control? What would happen to you? Or Yuuko? Or her unborn child? I can’t put you at risk like that” the fact that his friends were also uncomfortable if he closed that distance didn’t need to be pointed out.

“Okay...can I ask what makes Victor different?” it was a valid question and Yuuri gazed out the window in front of him as he recalled the way Victor had fearlessly stepped closer to him.

“He knows and he doesn’t seem to care” Yuuri’s shoulder still burned from the touch to his shoulder, “I don’t know if he has a death wish or if he could honestly protect himself...but I don’t know. Maybe he can help?” 

Yuuri turned to Phichit, his eyes wet with unshed tears.

“I have to let him try right?” he asked his valet.

Phichit didn’t answer him for a long moment.

“Okay...let's find you a killer outfit for lunch then.”

 

What could Victor wear to this meal? Why hadn’t he brought better clothing with him?

Goddamnit!

Ah! The pink shirt would do nicely.

Victor wasn’t sure why he was so worked up about his appearance but it  _ mattered.  _  He checked his long hair in the mirror, making sure it looked alright. 

After fussing he looked down at his bags and debated if he should take his midday medication now or at the meal. Eventually he decided taking it in company was too embarrassing and quickly swallowed the bitter tablet quickly.

Minami arrived shortly after that to guide Victor to the dining room.

Victor was surprised to find he was nervous. That was a new feeling for him. Yuuri arrived shortly after him looking a vision in deep blues and his hair slicked back. He looked more mature, more adult like this. 

Victor wasn’t sure if he preferred this look or the adorable softness he had projected when he’d been cuddling the dogs.

The only thing marring his appearance was the fact that he was clearly as nervous as Victor felt.

“After you” Yuuri stiffly indicated the chair on the far end of the table. 

“Thank you” and Victor was nearly as stiff.

This was not looking great. 

Twenty minutes later and Victor’s fears seemed justified as it was proving to be the most awkward meal Victor had ever been apart of. 

They ate in silence with Yuuri at the far end of a much too big table. Yuuri wouldn’t look at Victor at all and his frame was tight as he stared at his plate like it held the secrets of alchemy.

Victor had to try not to growl in frustration but the tension was too much.

He watched as Yuuri took another tiny bite of his food and hit his limit.

Victor all but slammed the cutlery down on his plate. Yuuri jumped and finally looked at him as Victor gathered his plate and stood up, walking around the table.

“So,” Victor began as he dropped in the chair next to Yuuri, “How did you get your puppies?” 

It was with no small satisfaction that Victor watched Yuuri’s face transform from apprehension to excitement. 


	5. Fear and Revelations

Over the next month things started to really progress. It started when Victor figured out how to get Yuuri to warm up to him (hint: dogs are important) and from there they managed to make a little headway.

Yuuri was still shy but once Victor got him on a topic he was passionate about the man could talk for days and there was so much he was passionate about.

His time in isolation was apparently spent educating himself. He studied art, music, dance and fencing as just a small example of his interests. He was also surprisingly knowledgeable about current events. He said his family kept him up to date and he was very informed when it came to politics. 

It was clear though that his love was with the arts. Both dance and painting were the easiest way to get him to open up outside of dogs.

Though oddly he never seemed to use the ballroom for dancing. Victor must have passed the room half a dozen times or more and never seen the doors open. 

Instead Yuuri danced the grounds behind the house or in the room just next to his. He’d had the furniture removed and lined one of the walls with mirrors. 

It made Victor feel that familiar melancholy take hold when he watched Yuuri practice partner dances alone. He ached to join him but Yuuri had hesitated when Victor offered to teach him some new dances before offering a quiet no thank you and scurrying away to hide for the rest of the day.

With art he had so many strong opinions it was difficult for Victor to follow him. It was something Victor wasn’t knowledgeable about himself but it made him smile when Yuuri talked at length about light and colour and the deeper meanings behind paintings. 

He once got so passionate talking about art that he actually grabbed Victor’s arm himself which frankly shocked both of them.

So Victor genuinely enjoyed his time with Yuuri. 

It was easily the most fun he’d had in years but he had to respect that this was all new to the other man and allow him times to retreat

Honestly Victor needed it as well. He hadn’t ever spent this much time really paying attention to another person. 

He was also learning a lot about himself. How long had he been pasting on a smile when he felt nothing? How long had he been numb? 

He felt like he was waking up from a long sleep. It wasn’t a cure, privately he still had days and hours where the world was grey and dull. 

So no, it wasn’t a cure. 

But it was a wake up call. 

When they were apart Victor tried to work at taking care of himself better, but his thoughts tended to drift to his host anyway.

Yuuri was, to put it simply, a delight. Especially when his eyes sparkled when he was searching for something.

But he was still a puzzle. 

(and not just because he lit something in Victor on fire)

Because of this Victor increasingly, during the times his host proved elusive, spent his time trying to figure out what kind of curse Yuuri might be under.

Questioning the others accomplished nothing. Yuuko, Phichit and Takeshi just said that they were young when it happened. Apparently Yuuri had been kept in a different house with more servants until he turned 18 and insisted on living in a more removed house with only volunteers. They had been children of the original servants and they only remembered the aftermath and didn’t know the details of what had happened.

Victor suspected they were lying but couldn’t prove anything enough to accuse them.

Minami apparently knew absolutely nothing except that the “family” had warned him not to touch or get too close to Yuuri. 

And yet the boy clearly idolised him, asking Yuuri a billion and one questions when given the opportunity.

Minako was his best bet for information but Yuuko and Phichit had warned him to never bring it up to her. 

Victor had thought of her missing leg and decided to obey that instruction.

All Yuuri would say was that he was cursed and Victor would do better to keep his distance though he wasn’t running away from Victor either.

It was the least amount of information he’d had about a curse in his long career.

Still Victor was the Great Nikiforov. 

If this curse could be broken then Victor was the one to break it.

At the moment their best bet was true love's kiss. The most powerful curse breaker in existence. 

The only trouble was that it was notoriously unreliable and almost impossible to obtain.

_ “Still”  _ Victor thought as he saw Yuuri dance around with the dogs in the grounds behind the house,  _ “I shouldn’t discard it…” _

The truth was that as the weeks went on Victor was quickly becoming infatuated with Yuuri. He was graceful, quick witted, with a sharp sense of humor and he was breathtakingly beautiful. Maybe if he presented himself as one of the heroines from the fairytales they’d kiss and that would be enough to break the spell…

The problem was that Yuuri was skittish when Victor was just near him much less flirting...but even if it was nothing more than a physical dallience that wouldn’t be so bad would it?

Well what he wanted didn’t matter.

What mattered was doing the job at hand.

As he watched though Yuuri stiffened, curling in on himself. Victor sat up from where he’d been lounging in the grass.

“Yuuri?”

“I have to go” Yuuri ran past him into the house, his hands cradled to his chest.

Victor frowned and followed him but it was like he had vanished and Victor could not  find him for the rest of the day.

 

That night Victor had a nightmare.

_ “Vitya come watch me!” a childish voice called to him and Victor ran towards it through lush gardens. _

_ “Wait for me!” Victor called to the laughing voice up ahead. _

_ Before he could reach it however the world went white and everything was filled with screaming. _

Victor woke with a start, his eyes wet with tears from the dream. 

As horrible as his nightmare had been though that’s not what woke him. 

The house shook with another boom of an explosion.

Victor flung himself out of bed and struggled a dressing gown on. This wasn’t an ordinary explosion! This was magical! 

The only thing magical in the manor besides Victor was Yuuri who was cursed. He had to find Yuuri!

Victor burst out of his room to find Phichit standing as if he’d just been about to open Victor’s door.

“Oh you’re awake. That’s good”

“Where’s Yuuri?” Victor demanded. 

“Come on, everyone’s gathered in the kitchen” Phichit turned away and while Victor  _ needed _ to get to Yuuri he was suspicious about how calm Phichit was being. So he followed the valet to the kitchens were he found the others huddled up at the table. Minami was crying while Yuuko tried to shush him as the house shook again.

“Oh good, you’re here” Minako looked tired as she locked the door to the kitchen behind them.

“Where’s Yuuri?” 

Everyone shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze.

“He’s in the ballroom. That’s where he’ll be until the worst of it passes.” Minako sat down heavily, her ring of keys in her hand as the building rocked on it’s foundations again.

Fuck.

That.

“Where’s the ballroom?” 

“Don’t do this Victor.” Minako sighed, “It’ll last for three days, we’ll stay in the kitchens, only going out ot the kennels to feed the dogs. Then it will be over and Yuuri will be in bed until he’s recovered”

“I can help him! Just let me go to him! Don’t you care about him?” Victor wanted to swear but he had to keep a rein on his temper.

Minako did not keep a rein on hers.

“Don’t take my lack of action as lack of care Mister Nikiforov!  Do you have any idea how it would destroy Yuuri if anything happened to you? I AM protecting him!” 

Victor bit back an oath and instead took a deep breath and instead put out a thread of magic to call the keys to his hand.

The others stared at him with mouths agape.

“For the last time I can take care of myself! Now _ where is the fucking ballroom!?” _ Victor growled.

“On the left of the entrance hall the double doors.” Phichit answered.

“Thank you”

Victor wasted no more words. He needed to get to Yuuri.

If it wasn’t for the sheer amount of magical energy flying around he’d have transported himself straight to Yuuri, but if he tried that at the moment there was a good chance he’d end up in the capital sporting an extra head.

Out of deference to the fears of the others he locked them back in the kitchen before heading to the ballroom. 

The charge of magical energy increased as he got closer. Before opening the door he raised a magical shield. It should deflect the force around his body. 

Taking a deep breath he threw open the doors of the ballroom.

He wasn’t sure what he expected. 

A transformation perhaps. 

A horrible beast of some kind. That would explain this much magical energy.

What he didn’t expect was Yuuri curled up in a fetal position in the centre of a small crater magical energy coiling around him like billions of snakes made of light and tears streaming down his face.

“Yuuri!” He took a step forward but had to brace himself when Yuuri’s eyes opened in terror as the magic coiled around him exploded outward. The force of the shock wave sent Victor’s hair flying.

“GO AWAY!” Yuuri shrieked and even from where Victor was he could tell Yuuri was basically hysterical.

“NOT HAPPENING!” Victor yelled back to be heard over the buzz of magic as he started to walk forward cautiously. As he did so he noted how the snakes of magical energy that had vanished with the explosion were now coiling around Yuuri again. They were crawling out from under the terror stricken man’s skin.

“I DON’T WANT TO HURT YOU!” 

Now that Victor was halfway to Yuuri he could see how the other man was desperately trying to keep the magic inside. He was holding the coiling magic to him with immense will power.

But there was too much for one man to contain.

With an agonised scream of pain and despair the magic burst from it’s confines in another explosion.

Victor braced again, rocked by the explosion but he managed to deflect the kinetic energy around him.

“You won’t hurt me!” Victor yelled as he started walking to Yuuri again.

Yuuri’s eyes were squeezed shut even as the magic started coiling around him again.

Victor hurried to close the distance before the next explosion hit but he still had to brace himself once more before he reached Yuuri. 

Victor carefully knelt next to him. 

“Yuuri in a moment I’m going to lower my shield, I need you to keep holding on to the magic just a little bit longer” Victor tried to keep the fear out of his voice.

“I can’t!” Yuuri sobbed, his face twisted in pain.

“You can Yuuri. I believe in you, I’m dropping my shield.” Victor prayed this worked even as Yuuri clenched his jaw harder.

Victor dropped the shield and clapped a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder, siphoning the build up of magical energy which was frighteningly high even after all the explosions. 

Desperate Victor slapped his other hand on the cracked marble next to him, channeling the magic into the first idea that entered his head. Under his hand gold sped in all directions, the floor shifting under them as it mended itself.

Soon Victor and Yuuri were in the middle of a silent ballroom with a brand new golden floor.

Yuuri’s forehead crinkled in confusion. Cautiously he sat up, opening his eyes wide as he realised the magic was gone to nothing more than a slight buzz deep inside. Something that normally took days to happen.

“...What?” he stared at his hands in wonder. He was a mess, the fear and pain having left him tear stained and sweaty. 

But it was gone. 

He grinned widely and turned to thank Victor to only be met with a frown and troubled eyes.

His smile faded.

“I think you have a lot of questions to answer Yuuri. That was no curse. You’re a sorcerer.” 


	6. Aftermath

“I! It’s a curse!” Yuuri protested. Victor was clearly talking nonsense didn’t he see what this did to Yuuri? The pain and the violent explosions he couldn’t control?

“Yuuri I’m the top sorcerer in three kingdoms. I know what sorcery looks like.” Victor said flatly.

Yuuri shook his head.

“No that can’t be true!” Yuuri hugged his arms around himself, “I remember the day it started, I was thirteen and these glowing coils came out of my hands and I was so scared because I didn’t know what was happening and then the next thing I knew I was surrounded by bodies. Two dead and so many more hurt!” Yuuri started to shake but no he needed to stay focused, “It kept happening and getting worse. At first I never knew when it would happen. So many people got hurt. Eventually it settled to once a month but it kept getting worse. It went from a night to on and off for three days. Everyone always said it was a curse!”

“Yuuri...are you the first person in your family to have this happen?” Yuuri nodded, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Bloody hell. This is why I keep telling Yakov we need to scry for kids on the verge of presenting. Of course they won’t know what’s going on if they don’t have family who’ve been through it.” Victor sighed resting back on his hands.

Yuuri felt brave enough to open his eyes.

“I don’t understand” he wished he did understand. He didn’t know what Victor meant or why he looked so frustrated. Victor saw him looking and his expression softened.

“Magic responds to emotion. You naturally panicked when your magic presented because you didn’t know what was going on which led to the first tragedy, and because you never got guidance you weren’t able safely spend your magical energy. It just kept building until it forced its way out. Combine that with your panic and boom! I’m actually impressed you were able to control it well enough to keep it once a month” Victor smiled at him but it was a sad smile.

“What do you mean?” Yuuri still didn’t quite believe he was a sorcerer but it wasn’t sounding so insane the way Victor explained it.

“Yuuri you have an astounding amount of magical energy, and now I know why I’m here. I’m going to teach you to use your magic safely and to keep your magic from building like that.” Victor said it like he wasn’t spinning Yuuri’s world on its axis.

“You’re joking” he said as soon as he found his voice but Victor looked even more cheerful.

“Nope! You’re not cursed by anything except circumstance. I can’t unwrite the trauma you went through but I can change your future. I can teach to use your power to help people” Victor sat up straight and held out a hand to Yuuri, “Still willing to change your fate?”

Yuuri stared at him for a long moment before taking his hand only to pulled into a hug. He froze in shock with wide open eyes. 

“It’s not your fault” Victor told him softly. 

And Yuuri for the first time in ten years let himself be held as he cried.

 

Victor helped Yuuri to his room. 

Though in better condition then he usually was afterwards the panic and magical explosions still left him exhausted. 

He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

Victor watched him sleep for a moment before going back down to the kitchens. He had a lot of questions that needed to be answered.

He unlocked the door, his jaw set.

“What happened? Why is it so quiet? What happened to Yuuri?” Phichit asked, concern written all over his face.

“He’s fine. He’s sleeping off his panic attack” Victor voice was flat as he glared at Minako, “What I want to know is why he was told he was cursed when what he needed was a teacher” and yeah there was spite and bile in his voice but Yuuri had been through unnecessary pain for ten fucking years. 

“What are you talking about? Minako seemed confused but Victor wasn’t buying it. He took a deep breath before answering.

“I mean,” he spat, “that if anyone had contacted an actual expert on magic they would have been able to tell you it’s not a curse. Yuuri needed a teacher! Not isolation!” 

“What are you saying? What do you mean it’s not a curse?” she still sounded confused but Victor was tired and shaking from the adrenaline drop so he had no time to be kind.

“I’m saying Yuuri is a fucking sorcerer and if you and ‘the family’ hadn’t decided to punish him for an accident and instead gotten him a teacher he wouldn’t have spent a decade in unnecessary pain carrying unnecessary guilt!” Victor was vaguely aware of the others in the room inching away from both him and Minako.

“I wasn’t punishing him!” Minako yelled back, her face red.

“Really? Are you really going to say you’re not bitter about losing your leg and that you’re not here to shove that guilt in Yuuri’s face?” and even Victor was aware he’d crossed a line but he Did Not Care.

Minako rushed Victor, throwing him into the door with her arm against his throat.

“You know fuck all about me! Do I resent not having my leg? Yes sometimes but I don’t blame Yuuri! I’m here because I love that boy like he was my own flesh and blood! Do not presume to know my motivations for being here!.”

Victor sagged, guilt rushing in his veins. He shouldn’t have lashed out like that. Minako obviously cared about Yuuri.

“I just hate knowing he’s been in pain for so long. But I’m sorry for taking it out on you.” Victor could be the bigger person.

Minako’s eyes narrowed as she examined his face.

“He’s really not cursed?” she asked and now Victor could hear the vulnerability in her voice. Victor nodded slowly. 

Minako’s face crumpled and she went from holding him against the door to collapsing against Victor’s chest. Her tears soaking into his shirt. 

“Fuck” she said with feeling, “I let him down again” 

Victor patted her back awkwardly. This was the second time in so many minutes that he’d had a person cry on him and he had NO idea what to do.

Phichit came to his rescue gently manhandling Minako into a chair. 

Victor watched as the others gathered around to comfort her and suddenly felt unbelievably weary.

“I’m going to bed” Victor mumbled.

He turned to go and then paused.

“Um,” he said turning back, his face red with embarrassment, “Which way is my room again?” 

They looked at him oddly but Phichit helped him out with directions. 

Victor stumbled back to his room only pausing long enough to take his morning pill before collapsing fully clothed onto the bed. 

As he slept on the other side of the manor Yuuri tossed and turned as a shadow hung over his bed whispering doubt into his ear.

 

It was two days before they had their first lesson as Yuuri needed to recover and Victor needed to plan his lesson and deal with his own kind of fallout.

They met in the ballroom.

“First,” Victor began trying to hide his own nervousness, “What do you know about the four schools of magic?”

“I know Witches and Wizards are the most common. There is at least one of each in every community. They’re usually doctors and midwives. Sometimes blacksmiths and weavers but usually healers.” Yuuri began slowly, Victor nodded his approval.

“Yes, they have very different methods though. Wizards rely on potions and memorised spells. Witches have a close relationship with spirits. What about Magicians?” 

“Magicians work in the entertainment industry. They do big flashy magic.” Yuuri had vague memories of firework displays that awed him.

“They rely solely on spells. They are very close in nature to wizards. The main difference is in how they use their magic. Now what makes those three schools different from us is that they rely on ambient magic, that is magic already in the world. They simply reshape it. Sorcerers like us however create magic. In normal circumstances we are constantly letting out a low level hum of magic. It’s as natural to us as breathing” Victor explained.

Yuuri frowned, his eyebrows drawing in.

“But if natural for us why does it hurt?” Yuuri asked finally. 

Victor raised an eyebrow.

“Hold your breath” Victor commanded. Yuuri gave him a confused look but complied.

He held it as long as he could but eventually the pain and pressure in his chest was too much and he gasped for air.

Victor tried not to look smug and failed spectacularly.

“Hurt did it? It’s the same principle. You have repressed your magic so completely I couldn’t even tell you  _ had _ magic until it exploded out. That’s not healthy.” Victor explained, “But it’s okay because I’m going to teach you how to use your magic so it’s beneficial not destructive.”

The door to the ballroom opened and a wide eyed Minami walked over to them carrying a plant pot filled with soil.

“Thank you Minami” Victor flashed the boy a smile but he was too busy gaping at the floor. Eventually Victor walked over and gently took the pot out of the boys hand.

“Did Master Yuuri do this?” the boy stage whispered.

“No,” Yuuri immediately responded, “The weirdo did it” 

“You helped and I’m not weird!” Victor pretended to be outraged but secretly he was glad Yuuri felt comfortable enough to tease him. He’d only started doing so recently. 

“You’re pretty weird”

“How rude!”

“Uh,” Minami glanced between the two of them as they bickered before backing away, “Is that all you need me for? Only Takeshi wants more carrots” 

“Yes yes thank you Minami” Victor waved a hand dismissively.

“Thank you Minami” Yuuri added causing the boy to squeal and run into the door frame before fleeing.

“That boy has such a crush” why did that make Victor’s stomach tie up into knots?

“Well you are pretty” and suddenly the knots unfurled and Victor’s face heated up instead. 

“Well,” Victor coughed and decided to focus on the task at hand, “Okay so first it’s important for you to know that while we make magic we can’t make anything else. We can only transmute what is already there” 

Yuuri looked down at the floor between his feet.

“It sure looks like you made a lot of gold” he quipped.

“Nah I only changed how it looked. It’s still marble. Just as Minako’s leg isn’t really porcelain it just looks like it is.” Victor explained.

Yuuri looked up at Victor and grinned.

“Did you choose gold because it’s the only thing flashier than you?” Yuuri had the cheek to ask.

“No! I just panicked and changed it to the first thing that occured to me” Victor protested trying to look lofty but the effect was spoiled by the blush on his cheeks.

“So your first instinct is to be over the top? Seems legit” 

Victor decided to ignore that little comment.

“Okay sit down and we’ll start our first lesson” 

They sat on the floor and Victor placed the pot between them.

“I asked Minami to plant some seeds in this pot. I want you to close your eyes and reach out with your mind. Feel the life contained in the seeds” this was the first lesson Victor had had with Yakov and he wondered if he had given the old man as skeptical a look as Yuuri was giving him.

But Yuuri sighed and closed his eyes, his forehead furrowing in concentration.

“This is stupid I can’t fee- wait.” Yuuri’s forehead wrinkled more, “I can feel something..it’s like...a faint glow in my head?” 

“Good! That’s the seeds. Keep concentrating on that glow and imagine trickling some of your magic into that glow with the command to grow. Do it slowly” 

Yuuri clenched his teeth, a sweat breaking out on his forehead. Victor could feel his magic moving from Yuuri to the pot in front of them. Instead of a steady trickle it was more small pulses but Victor expected that.

He watched the plant slowly poke itself out of the soil, a little green bud.

“You’re doing great Yuuri - oh…” just as Victor was offering encouragement there was a surge of magic as the plant pot shattered as the plant went from a green shoot to a fully grown rosebush in a flash.

Yuuri opened his eyes and stared.

“That’s good! You only made it grow! The first time I tried this I threw the pot across the room and broke a priceless vase my Master had” Which was true. He had expected a lot worse for the first lesson.

“I...I made it grow…” Yuuri sounded in shock.

“Yes you did” Victor smiled at his student, his heart jumping painfully in his chest when Yuuri turned to him grinning wildly. 

_ “Oh, he’s beautiful” _  Victor thought as he tried very hard not to kiss his student senseless.

“I helped something LIVE I did something positive with my magic!” Yuuri threw himself on Victor to hug him.

Victor swallowed and put his arms around Yuuri.

He had it bad.

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter that mostly focuses on world building but some important things:
> 
> 1\. Sorcery is incredibly rare and almost always follows bloodlines but can rarely show up in people who don't have a family history. That's part of the reason why people thought Yuuri was cursed and why it went so badly when his magic manifested for the first time and every subsequent time.
> 
> 2\. There is a reason why Yuuri's wasn't assessed by a sorcerer when he presented with his "curse" and we will get to that but not for awhile.
> 
> 3\. There is a lot of ambient magic and that's why the majority of magic users are ones who had to train themselves to use magic. Theoretically anyone could learn to use magic if they just tried hard enough. But the exceptions are witches and sorcerers.
> 
> 4\. Witches work with spirits. There are many creatures and spirits who are invisible to those who are born without the sight and you have to have the sight to be a witch. But the sight is pretty common especially in women. Hence why most witches are women. There are beneficial spirits who are the ones Witches work with the most. Neutral spirits which can be bought and evil spirits who can cause disease or be used for curses.
> 
> 5\. Magic users are more prone to magical ailments then the general populace but there is a whole host of magical ailments and diseases that anyone can get. Most are just like the flu but you also turn blue and sneeze bubbles but some are more serious but that's why Wizards and Witches primarily work as doctors and midwives. Because you need magic to treat a magical illness.
> 
> Also why I haven't updated in awhile: My health has been a bit up and down lately but also it's been hot as fuck and my room is boiling in the day. It's like almost 5am and it's finally not oppressively hot. 
> 
> Ugh.


	7. Forgetful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A secret Victor has been trying to keep comes out

Yuuri bounced slightly with excitement in the ballroom as he waited for Victor to show up for that days lesson.

He couldn’t believe how much things had changed in four months. He had learnt so much! He loved helping plants grow and changing an items appearance. 

Victor was meant to be teaching him how to levitate items today and Yuuri couldn’t stop vibrating excitedly.

It had taken a month before Yuuri really believed Victor. 

As they had neared the end of the second month of Victor’s stay Yuuri had gotten increasingly stressed until exactly 30 days after his last...outburst.

Victor had sat with him all night making him laugh with stories and nothing had happened.

Yuuri had laughed with joy and Victor had hugged him. 

Minako had hugged him as well and cried.

Yuuri was slowly getting used to physical contact again. Phichit shook his hand the other day and Takeshi slapped him on the back! It was baby steps but helped considerably by the way Victor hung on Yuuri at every possible moment.

Even the memories made Yuuri blush hotly.

He was willing admit to himself that he was deeply attracted to Victor. He had woken up more then once with the evidence of it making itself known to him.

He felt bad about it because he shouldn’t be lusting over his teacher but Victor was far too gorgeous to not lust after.

But it wasn’t just a looks thing.

Yuuri really truly  _ liked _ Victor.

When the man had first arrived Yuuri thought he was going to be super serious but he was really funny, kind of childish in his excitement about everything, and definitely goofy.

He was far too fun to tease as well.

He was also late. 

Again.

Yuuri rolled his eyes but smiled fondly. 

Victor had a bit of a scattered memory, often forgetting little things. He got so easily disoriented, not knowing where rooms were despite having just been in them. 

It was kinda cute. 

“Um Master Yuuri?”

Yuuri turned to see Minami in the doorway his eyes down and his hands twisting in his shirt.

“Yes Minami?”

“Um...Victor...you should probably come” 

Yuuri felt an icy line of fear run up his spine his smile falling away.

_ “He’s bored of you. No one really likes you. You deserve to be alone”  _ it felt like a voice whispered his doubts into his ear as he shivered.  Yuuri took a deep breath and tried to shake off the negative thoughts..

“Take me to him.”

He followed Minami to Victor rooms. There he found Victor mumbling to himself as he paced the room.

He was running his hand through his hair and his brows drawn in tight.

“Victor?” blue eyes snapped up to meet his and Victor visibly relaxed. 

“Yuuri,” Victor sighed “Thank god. Where am I?” 

Yuuri’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and he exchanged a worried look with Minami.

“You’re in your rooms, you know here at the manor?” Yuuri answered carefully.

“Right, of course. I knew that” Victor nodded.

“Victor...are you okay?” Yuuri took a step forward.

“Yes of course I am but…” Victor walked over and shot Minami a suspicious look before whispering in Yuuri’s ear, “Who’s that?” 

“...That’s Minami” he could see that meant nothing to Victor and Yuuri’s heart beat hard in alarm. He turned to Minami.

“Minami, can you go see if Takeshi and Yuuko have left yet for the village? If they haven’t tell them to wait for us okay?” Minami nodded shooting Victor a concerned look before he left.

Yuuri turned back to Victor whose eyebrows were drawn in again.

“Victor can you sit down on the bed or me?”

“Of course” Victor sat easily enough and Yuuri touched his forehead with the back of his hand but there didn’t seem to be a fever.

While he was taking his hand back he noticed that Victor was holding something in his left hand.

“Victor what are you holding?” he asked.

“Hmm? Am I holding something?” Victor looked at his hands and seemed to surprised to find a bottle in his left hand.

“What is it Victor?” Yuuri asked gently.

“I...I don’t remember! Why can’t I remember!? Where am I? Yuuri I’m scared!” Victor reached out his free hand to clutch Yuuri’s arm.

“It’s okay, you’re safe I’m here. Can I see the bottle?” Yuuri took it carefully and looked to see if there was a label. 

It was obviously a bottle that used to contain medication of some kind. There was a label of what kind and what dosage but Yuuri didn’t know what it was for. But that just confirmed that they needed to get Victor to a doctor.

“Master Yuuri? Yuuko and Takeshi are waiting in the courtyard” 

“Thank you Minami” Yuuri gently helped Victor to his feet keeping hold of the bottle, “Okay Victor? We’re going to go see Takeshi and Yuuko okay?” 

“Don’t leave me!” the panic in his voice made Yuuri take a deep breath to push his own panic down.

“I won’t. Just come with me please?” 

Yuuri guided Victor to the courtyard, his hand holding firmly to Victor’s. Victor clenched his hand tightly in return like he thought Yuuri might vanish.

“Is everything okay Yuuri?” Takeshi asked.

“Um...Victor needs to see the doctor can you take him?” Yuuri asked.

“Of course but what’s wrong?” Takeshi glanced at his wife, clearly worried about infectious disease.

“I don’t really know…”

“Yuuri who are these people?” Victor was hiding behind Yuuri his voice just on the edge of panic.

“It’s Yuuko and Takeshi you remember them right?” it was clear from Victor’s face that he didn’t.

“O-kay…” Takeshi said finally after a pregnant pause, “We’re going to the village to find you a doctor okay Victor?” 

Victor held onto Yuuri’s hand tighter.

“I’m not leaving Yuuri” he declared.

“Victor please you need to see the doctor” Yuuri tried to coax him into the wagon but with no luck. 

Victor shook his head, tears falling from his eyes.

“No! I don’t know these people and I don’t know where I am the only thing I recognise is you! Please don’t leave me Yuuri” Victor burst into tears, covering his face with his free hand.

Yuuri bit his lip. 

He didn’t like the thought of going into the village but he didn’t like to see Victor like this more.

“Okay Victor it’s okay, I’ll come with you” 

“Yuuri..”

“I have to Takeshi!” Yuuri hissed before helping Victor into the wagon and climbing in behind him. 

The ride into the village was uncomfortable. 

Victor was confused and really did only seem to only recognise Yuuri. 

Yuuko kept exchanging worried looks with Yuuri over Victor’s head but neither of them knew what to say or do.

Unfortunately the silence meant there was nothing to distract Yuuri from the voice.

_ “This is your fault. You destroy whatever you touch. You did this to him. You’re disgusting. It’s because you’re weak. If you were strong you could protect people instead of hurting them. But you’re just weak and pathetic”  _ it had been awhile since the voice was this loud in his head.

He tried to ignore the cruel words his mind was conjuring and focus on the warmth of Victor’s hand in his.

He felt relief when the wagon stopped outside the doctors office. 

He ushered Victor in while Takeshi led Yuuko to the rooms where the midwife met her clients which was in the same building as the doctor and midwife were married.

Luckily the doctor was free when they knocked on the door to his room.

“Yes?” he was an older gentleman with an impressive grey beard.

“My friend...he has something is wrong with his memory and I found him holding this” Yuuri explained passing over the pill bottle.

The doctor examined the bottle, his eyes widening.

“You best come in” the doctor waved them in. Yuuri convinced Victor to sit but kept hold of his hand.

“Yuuri what’s happening?” Victor asked, his eyebrows scrunched up.

“We’re at the Doctor’s Victor” Yuuri explained giving his hand a squeeze.

“Why? Are you sick?” if anything Victor seemed more alarmed that the idea that Yuuri might be ill.

“No Victor we’re here to find out why you don’t remember things” Yuuri explained gently.

“Oh...I forgot” Victor sounded so young like this. Young and frightened and it hurt Yuuri’s heart to hear.

“Do you know what’s wrong Doctor?” Yuuri asked turning to the Doctor who was gathering items from his store of herbs and other ingredients. 

“I do. Your friend has a magical ailment. It acts a lot like the memory problems we sometimes see in the elderly but it has a magical cause. There is also,” the man grunted as he went on his tiptoes to grab a herb, “A magical treatment. It looks like your friend had a flare that meant he forgot to get his medication refilled and then kept forgetting because of the nature of the ailment”

The doctor turned around and started to use a combination of practical skill and muttered spells to turn the ingredients into a small pile of white pills. 

Yuuri watched him fascinated, not daring to interrupt the man while he worked. Eventually the man seemed satisfied. He filled the bottle and then brought a pill and a glass of water over to them.

Instead of handing the items to Victor however he held them out to Yuuri. 

“He trusts you” the Doctor explained in response to Yuuri’s questioning look.

Yuuri accepted the pill and offered it to Victor.

“Victor, I have some medicine that will help your memory. Can you take it for me?” Yuuri coaxed gently.

Victor looked at the pill suspiciously but accepted it and then the water to wash it down. 

“It’ll take a little while for it to start working” The doctor told Yuuri handing him the bottle of pills, “He’ll need to take another pill in the evening and morning. I should warn you that while the medication controls the condition it can flare up in moments of high stress so it’s important to check with him that he is actually taking his pills. Normally it only gets this bad if they miss three doses in a row” 

Yuuri nodded, thanking the doctor even as he tried not to question why Victor hid this from him.

The moved out to the waiting area where Yuuri rubbed Victor’s back as they waited for Takeshi and Yuuko to finish their check up with the midwife.

As they waited Victor tensed up. He was sitting hunched forward, his hands clasped tightly in front of him.

Somehow Yuuri sensed the pills were working.

When Takeshi and Yuuko joined them  Victor refused to look at them or say anything. He just stared at the floor.

Yuuri looked back at him.

“Yuuko can you please ride up front with Takeshi?” Yuuri asked without taking his eyes off of Victor catching his wince.

Yuuko glanced between them.

“Of course Yuuri”

Victor sat across from Yuuri in the wagon adopting the pose from the waiting room. The tension clear in his frame as they started off.

Yuuri watched him for a good while before sighing and leaning forward.

“Why didn’t you tell me Victor?” he tried to avoid the voice in his ear that was full of suggestions as to why.

Victor winced again, his hands gripping each other so tightly the knuckles went white.

“...I was scared.” Victor finally admitted quietly, “A lot of people treat me differently if they know. I prefer to be thought of as fickle or flakey then admit I have to take pills three times a day just to know my own name.” 

“Did you really think I was so shallow? That I of all people wouldn’t understand needing help? That I would look at you differently when I know how smart and brave and amazing you are?” Yuuri asked.

Victor finally looked up at him, his face strained.

“It’s a lot to admit. It’s hard...for me to talk about.” but his hands relaxed from their death grip, “It’s...it’s just...it’s humiliating.”

“You don’t need to be embarrassed. I mean I am going to nag  you about your pills now that I know because I care about you. I don’t...I don’t like seeing you that scared. Not if I can help you.” Yuuri very slowly and hesitantly reached out a hand to cover Victor’s clenched ones, “I care deeply about you and I think no less of you” 

Victor’s head dropped but he didn’t pull away.

“I...thank you.”

“I have to explain to the others but I can ask them not to talk to you about it. But none of them will judge you.”

Victor curled in on himself more and Yuuri felt a flutter of panic.

“Minako got drunk and hid her leg once, it took us two weeks to find it. Minami got food poisoning from eating dog treats by accident and puked in my study and blushed and broke something every time he saw me for 2 months after that. Takeshi made a cake but used salt instead of sugar and has never lived it down. Yuuko got a stomach bug visiting town and ended up shitting herself on the way home.”

“HEY!” Yuuko yelled from the front seats.

“Doing it for a reason Yuuko!” Yuuri called back before focusing back on Victor who was now looking at him with an amused smile and much relaxed shoulders, “Phichit got a black eye by punching himself in the face while trying to open a stuck lid on a chest and I got a fat lip, a bloody nose and a sprained ankle because I tripped over my own feet walking into my dance studio and smashed my face into the mirror.”

“You told us you were dancing when that happened!” Takeshi interjected.

“Not the point!” Yuuri called back, Victor was full on grinning now, “The point is Victor that everyone gets a little humiliated from time to time but you taking necessary medication and having a health condition that you didn’t choose is not something to be embarrassed about. Be embarrassed for having twenty different products for your hair! My god I know it’s pretty Victor but over the top much!” Yuuri felt safe adding that and to his relief Victor laughed.

“Yes well not all of us can have such naturally pretty hair Master Yuuri” 

Yuuri grinned in relief.

They’d be okay. 

They had to be.

Because this just made it very clear to Yuuri how much he already cared for the man sitting across from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew.  
> First of all sorry for the long hiatus. But Kiddo is back at school and my arthritis is better treated so I'm writing a bit more.
> 
> I've got two more chapters done and waiting for this fic and I think about two more chapters after that to write before the end.
> 
> Now some notes on this chapter:  
> I have tried to leave hints about this in previous chapters. Mentions of Victor taking medication and getting confused/being forgetful.
> 
> He's basically got a chronic condition that is mostly managed by medication but he can and does have flares and his memory as a whole is worse than average.
> 
> He finds it embarrassing but as Yuuri says he shouldn't have to feel that way. We can't help chronic illnesses and shouldn't be ashamed to take medication.


	8. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor learns something he wasn't meant to

Victor was amazed by how far Yuuri had come since he had moved into the Manor.

His magic had come on in leaps in bounds. He could cause a plant to grow in minutes with perfect control. He could levitate and move objects without breaking a sweat. He could transmute an object to make it look like it’s another material which is why Victor had hair brushes that looked to be made of solid gold. 

It was probably the relief that he could use his magic to help people that motivated his hard work but his natural stamina and determination was just a part of him.

It was unbelievably attractive. 

Despite Victor’s original conviction not to complicate their relationship they’d gotten very close ever since the incident when he forgot to take his medication. 

Yuuri hadn’t been kidding about nagging him to take his pills but he wasn’t condescending about it either. Yakov had just yelled at him like he was still a child. Yuuri asked gently and smiled so beautifully when Victor said he had.

But what really changed was Yuuri started to initiate contact between them more. Leaning into Victor, hugging him, holding hands...they hadn’t gone further yet but now Victor thought of it is as ‘not yet’ rather than ‘never’.

But Victor needed to not think about kissing that tempting mouth. 

Today was a very serious lesson and he needed to focus.

“Okay Yuuri. Today I’m going to teach you how to teleport. There is a limit to it. You can only teleport to places you’ve already been and there is a distance limit. The village is fine and maybe even the next but you couldn’t transport yourself to the capital. Not unless you were enhancing your magic unnaturally.” Victor explained in his teacher voice. Yuuri tilted his head to the side and Victor briefly lost his train of thought. Yuuri looked like he would welcome a kiss so easily sometimes…

Victor shook himself. Now wasn’t the time.

“Right...so teleportation…”

They spent the rest of the day teleporting to various parts of the manor and grounds. 

And Victor kept getting distracted.

Which was why Victor was now faced with a dilemma. 

He couldn’t remember if he had already taken his evening tablet. He didn’t want to miss one but he had been warned about never taking a double dose. It wouldn’t kill him but it would have negative consequences...or at least that’s what he had gathered. The warnings had always been vague but given seriously enough that Victor hadn’t pushed.

He hesitated but took a tablet. He’d rather take too much than miss a dose. He didn’t want to disappoint Yuuri.

He was just settling down in bed with a book when the reason he’d been warned about taking a double dose made itself known.

He was thrown, seemingly bodily, into a long forgotten memory

_ “Victor I would like you to meet the Royal Family of Hasetsu” Yakov said formally. A plump cheerful woman with a lopsided crown grinned at him next to a pleasant looking man. They didn’t look Royal but then the royal family was beloved by the people for being down to earth and kind. _

_ “It’s a pleasure to meet you Victor!” the Queen said cheerfully, “Mari? Yuuri? Stop hiding and greet Master Yakov’s apprentice” two children peered out from behind the queen. The girl gave him a once over and shrugged a little dismissively but the boy looked at him shyly, his hands clenching his mother’s skirts. _

_ It was cute. _

_ “Hi Yuuri! I’m Victor! I’m 14 how old are you?” _

_ “Ten….” even his voice was cute! Victor wanted to smoosh his chubby cheeks. _

_ “Let’s be friends Yuuri!”  _

The memory was replaced by a later one

_ “What’s wrong Yuuri?” Victor found the young 11 year old prince hiding in a cupboard. He’d clearly been crying though he tried to hide it when Victor sat down next to him. _

_ “Yuuko said Takeshi was her best friend” Yuuri mumbled, “Everyone has someone special except for me. It feels lonely”  _

_ “Well that’s not true.” Victor grinned at Yuuri as he turned to look at him, “I’m your best friend” _

_ Yuuri huffed and looked away. _

_ “You’re just saying that. You’re 15, you don’t want to be best friends with a kid” _

_ “You’re not just a kid Yuuri! You’re the best dancer I know! And no one else appreciates dogs the way you do.” Victor ducked his head to look better at Yuuri’s face and smiling when he caught the little smile on Yuuri’s face.. _

_ “Hey do you trust me?” this Victor said seriously enough that Yuuri looked at him. _

_ “More than anyone” _

_ “I promise that I will always be your best friend. No one will ever replace you” Victor was surprised by how seriously he was taking this. But he did care about Yuuri and wanted to be his friend.   _

_ The young prince hugged Victor tightly. _

_ “I believe you” the boy whispered into Victor’s chest as Victor returned the hug. _

_ He felt so warm and happy.  _

_ He wasn’t the best at promises but he’d keep this one. _

The memory twisted again.

_ “Vitya! Come watch me!” Yuuri called from just a bit ahead in the garden. _

_ “Wait for me!” Victor called back laughing as he ran after the boy. Yuuri was going to show him the new dance he and Minako had choreographed together in the gardens. He loved to watch Yuuri dance, it was when the younger boy was the most free and happy.  _

_ He loved his friend so much.   _

_ It was a beautiful day and the gardens were full of servants and guards enjoying the sunlight and fresh air. _

_ Victor caught up to Yuuri who was standing still staring at his hands. _

_ “Yuuri don’t run so fast! I can’t keep up with you” Victor laughed but he stopped when he noticed how silent and still Yuuri was. _

_ “Yuuri?” _

_ The boy looked up at Victor with terror in his eyes. _

_ “What’s happening!?” Yuuri asked, his voice shrill and high with panic. Victor saw the magic coils around Yuuri’s hands and his eyes widened in alarm. _

_ He had to do something! _

_ He had to explain! To calm Yuuri down before the magic reacted badly! _

_ “Yuuri!” He started to move, his hand outstretched but it was too late. It was like everything happened in slow motion. He saw the magic start to expand out, he tried to throw up a shield but it wasn’t complete. _

_ He felt the magic hit. _

_ He felt himself get flung backwards. _

_ He felt the sharp pain and the taste of blood as his head made contact with stone. _

 

Victor was thrust back into the present with tears in his eyes.

But this was impossible!

He hadn’t known Yuuri back then!

...Or maybe he had.

But if he had Yuuri would have recognised him.

But...

He stood and started pacing the room.

He had never been able to recall the accident that messed up his memory and Yakov refused to talk about it. 

In fact a lot of memories from before the accident were lost forever. The only things he recalled clearly were his lessons with Yakov and the fact that…

Victor cursed heavily.

Of course Yuuri hadn’t recognised Victor. 

Victor before the accident had had short brown hair and matching brown eyes. The color had been leached from him by the magic. It was one of the few memories he had of his recovery, asking Yakov what had happened to him. 

He had to do something.

He had to tell Yuuri the truth but he didn’t know how Yuuri would react…

He needed advice.

Victor clutched his head briefly, struggling to think through the sudden pounding headache. He needed pen and paper.

He stumbled to his desk and scribbled out a message to the only person he knew had the answers to his questions. 

Once done he sealed the letter with some wax and, gathering his magic, blew on the letter. The magic transported it with a musical twinkle. 

Suddenly Victor felt very very tired. 

He hauled himself to bed.

Maybe things would look better in the morning.

 

Things did  _ not _ look better in the morning. 

Victor’s head hurt and remembering things was hard even with his medication. 

“Are you okay Victor?” 

Victor looked up to meet Yuuri’s concerned gaze and had to look away.

“I’m fine. It’s just a headache” he lied. He didn’t want to worry Yuuri and he wanted to get advice before he confessed.

It wasn’t wasn’t so much advice that he wanted he admitted to himself as he pushed his eggs around on his plate. It was more answers he needed. He needed to know why Yuuri thought he was dead. Why Yakov never told him what happened or about Yuuri.

Why Yuuri thought he was cursed all these years.

At least some things made sense now. Now he knew partly why he had never been introduced to the King and Queen of Hasetsu. They used his services from time to time but never met with him formally. 

But that didn’t explain everything.

He was missing a piece, okay several pieces, of the puzzle and he couldn’t talk to Yuuri about it until he had at least some answers.

“Are you sure it’s just a headache? Do you need to go back to bed?” 

Victor risked another glance up but making eye contact was difficult and he looked away again quickly.

“Maybe you’re right” Victor took a shuddering breath and forced a smile, “I think I’ll go sleep it off” 

With that Victor excused himself from Yuuri’s worried gaze. He closed himself up in his room but didn’t sleep.

He was relieved to see a reply from Yakov. He was travelling to see Victor and would be at the village nearby in about 48 hours time, 56 hours at the worst. 

With that weight off his shoulders Victor tried hard to keep himself together for the rest of the day.

It was...difficult. 

He kept losing time which meant those were times he lost his memory. The medication wasn’t doing enough and he didn’t know what to do.

He finally got to sleep around midnight only to be awoken an hour later by Minami banging on his door.

“What’s wrong Minami?” Victor knew his smile was pained but the boy didn’t seem to notice.

“It’s Yuuko! The babies are coming but it’s too early! We’re too far away from the village!” the boy was nearly frantic and Victor cursed.

When the midwife realised Yuuko was having triplets there was a plan in place to move her and Takeshi to the village but they hadn't made the move quite yet. They thought they had a little more time.

Victor hurried after Minami to where Yuuri paced the hall. He brightened up seeing Victor.

“Victor thank god! We need you to go to the village for the midwife!” Yuuri looked at him with such hope but Victor couldn’t do this. Not right now.  Not like this. When his head was pounding and his concentration all over the place.

“I can’t Yuuri” Victor told him, “I’m...not well right now. I can’t pull off a teleport right now safely, much less carry someone else with me. You have to do it” 

“Me?” Yuuri looked a little green at the thought but Yuuri  _ could  _ do this. Victor knew how capable he really was.

“Yes you, you are remarkable Yuuri and you can pull this off” Victor grabbed Yuuri by his shoulders and met his eyes properly for the first time the entire day, “I have absolute faith in you”

He watched with pride and awe as Yuuri straightened, his eyes full of fiery determination. 

“I won’t let you down” 

Yuuri stepped back and and smiled before teleporting away.

Maybe it was time for Victor to be brave as well.

He took a deep breath.

"Lady Minako? May I have a word?"


	9. Birth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting to the end! I have actually everything but the epilogue finished and I'm about to write that so no more waiting! I'm going to post the other finished chapters soon! So no more months between updates! WOO!
> 
> Seriously though this year was hard for writing so I'm proud to get this finished at least. I still need to finish the angel/demon au as well but things take time.

Yuuri staggered a bit, disoriented by the teleportation. He wished he could make it look effortless like Victor did but that hardly mattered now. 

He looked around to get his bearings.

He was in the town square facing the clock tower which meant the midwife was to the right. 

Yuuri confirmed he had the right door and then pounded on it like his life depended on it. 

His might not but at least four other lives might. 

A light flicked on and a tall woman with steel grey hair in a plait opened the door. 

“Are you the midwife?” panic makes for dumb questions.

“Yes? And you are?” She was probably used to panicked men breaking down her door in the middle of the night honestly.

“I’m Yuuri- from the Manor? Yuuko- the babies-” Yuuri was babbling but she seemed to understand.

“We’ll never make it in time” she said it sympathetically.

“No we will! I can take you there in an instant!” 

Her eyes widened but she didn’t argue.

“Give me two minutes”

Yuuri waited impatiently as she pulled on a robe over her nightgown and grabbed a bag from behind the door.

“Okay, I’m ready”

Yuuri grabbed her forearm, thankful he’d practiced carrying people with Victor just yesterday and gathered his magic around them. The world twisted before they landed roughly in the corridor outside Yuuko’s room.

“Is it through here?” the midwife didn’t seem the least bit flustered by the teleportation but Yuuri nodded and pointed. She pushed past Phichit and Minami to enter the room.

Yuuri was elated! 

He’d actually used his magic to help people!

He brought the midwife to Yuuko on time!

Him!

All by himself!

He needed to speak to Victor! He needed to hear him say ‘well done’ with that smile that seemed to belong to Yuuri alone.

He needed to tell Victor he loved him.

Because it was time wasn’t it? He was in love with Victor and he couldn’t deny it anymore. 

He couldn’t say when it had happened but it happened so naturally.  He was sure Victor felt the same. He couldn’t be completely misreading the signals he was getting.

It was time.

He had to say something.

But...where was Victor?

“Phichit? Have you seen Victor?” he asked his valet.

“Victor? Yeah said he needed to have a word with Minako, they went to her office”

Yuuri thanked Phichit and made his way quickly to Minako’s office. The door was left open slightly and he reached his hand out to push it fully open when Victor’s voice startled him.

“I’m Victor”

The statement was so puzzling it stayed Yuuri’s hand.

“I’m aware” Minako replied calmly.

“No,” Victor’s voice was strange, “I’m Yuuri’s Victor.”

Yuuri pulled back his hand as if he’d been burned. His throat felt tight even though it was impossible! 

His Victor was dead!

“I’m aware. I guessed shortly after you arrived and wrote to the King and Queen who confirmed that you survived the accident.” Minako’s words cut like the sharpest knife.

Yuuri couldn’t hear anything else over the rushing of blood in his ears. He stepped away from the door quietly, unable to think or breathe.

He needed to be far away from everyone.

Did everyone know? Did Yuuko? Did Phichit?

Was everyone lying to him?

**_“I can help”_ **

Yuuri looked up at the voice to find himself alone in the front hall. 

 

_ Up in Minako’s office Victor clenched his hands tight. _

_ “Why would you pretend I was dead!? Especially since you could see the guilt he was under!” _

_ “I thought you were dead too Victor, and I asked Hiroko the same question. Apparently they didn’t know which would be worse. Yuuri thinking you were dead, or knowing you were alive but had forgotten him because of an ailment he gave you. I don’t know all the details but they made the best decision they could at the time. Not just for Yuuri but for you.” Minako looked tired. _

_ “It was still cruel” _

_ “I’m not saying it wasn’t.” _

 

“Where are you?” Yuuri asked as he looked around the hall.

_**“The ballroom”** _ came the reply, but now Yuuri realised it was in his mind. Curious and wanting to focus on something other then the betrayal he made his way to the ballroom.

When he opened the door to the ballroom it was as empty as it had been that afternoon. 

“Hello?” Yuuri called even as he let the door fall shut behind him.

**_“Hello Yuuri. Below the far window”_ **

Yuuri moved closer. The only thing below that window was a large rose bush. The first one Yuuri had helped grow.

“You’re a rose bush?” he asked with a raised eyebrow even as he slowly started to close the distance between them.

 

_ “We need to tell him the truth. He deserves to know” Victor was struggling to concentrate. Sweat broke out on the back of his neck. _

_ “Yes he does” _

 

_**“I’m a spirit, one who inhabits this rose bush. I have seen your pain and suffering and the lies and betrayal of those you have trusted. It grieves me to see such a kind soul suffer so.”**   _ the voice was gentle as it answered Yuuri.

Yuuri was now in front of the rose bush, he could see almost a shimmer around it. It clearly wasn’t an ordinary rose bush.

“I...what do you want?” he asked eventually.

**_“I could help you”_ ** the rose bush seemed to pulse. 

 

_ Across the manor the midwife looked up from her work and uttered two harsh words in the language of spirits, causing a protective shield to envelop the delivery room _

_ In Minako’s office Victor’s head shot up in alarm. _

_ “Yuuri?”  _

 

“How can you help me?” Yuuri asked.

_**“Everyone you loved and trusted betrayed you, lied to you. I want to help you get...justice”** _ the voice offered.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone…”

**_“Are you sure about that?”_ **

 

_ Victor took the stairs two at a time. He needed to get to Yuuri. _

 

“Yes I’m sure…” but Yuuri didn’t sound sure and he didn’t feel sure either.

**_“Aren’t you angry?”_ **

Yes Yuuri was angry. 

So very angry.

**_“They lied to you. Let you believe yourself to be a murderer. They even knew you weren’t cursed but let you think otherwise. Because they think you’re weak. Let me help you. I can help you show them how strong you really are”_ **

“What do you want in return?” nothing came free.

**_“Just take one of my blossoms with you. I simply want freedom from this place”_ **

That didn’t seem too bad.

 

_ Victor was almost there! The ballroom was just ahead.  _

_ Victor reached out his hand… _

 

Yuuri reached out his hand....

___

Victor pushed open the door of the ballroom, Yuuri’s name on his lips, just as Yuuri’s hand made contact with a blossom.

Victor froze as he watched Yuuri stiffen up, his back in a painful looking arch. The blossom under his hand changed from red to an unnatural blue, the colour shift quickly spread to the other blossoms on the rose bush before the plant started wind itself around Yuuri.

The ballroom echoed with the hisses and groans of the rose stems wrapping themselves around Yuuri’s arms and legs. It was terrible and only became worse.

The wet sound of the rose stems penetrating Yuuri’s skin and Yuuri’s choking noises joined the groans and whispers as the roses dove under the skin of his wrist to travel up his arm and burst out with a bloom on his cheek. 

All over his body the roses could be seen wrapping tighter around the outside of his clothing and writhing below his skin. 

Then it was still. 

The roses were completely gone from the flower pot they’d been in and were instead completely consuming Yuuri. 

The thing in Yuuri’s body looked back over his shoulder at Victor.

“Too late” it said in Yuuri’s voice and then laughed before vanishing in a rain of rose petals.

Magic is sensitive to emotion.

The stronger the emotion the stronger the magic.

Which is why that night for 20 miles in all directions people awoke to a scream of such despair and pain that all who heard it burst into tears. And why the floor at the entrance to the ballroom was forever irreparably shattered.

That’s where Minako found Victor; kneeling in the epicentre of broken marble. 

Tears still streaming down her face she reached out a hand and shook his shoulder. 

“Victor?” 

He turned to look at her with wide confused eyes.

“Where’s Yuuri?”


	10. The Monster

Yuri was bored.

Yakov had fucked off somewhere leaving him with the royal family. 

Sure they were nice and kept giving him food but it was  _ boring. _

He should have probably been asleep hours ago but he was instead trying to enchant Poyta’s mouse toy so it would really move. 

At least that was something to do.

He was lying on his back on his bed trying to figure out the best way to do the enchantment when there was a sensation almost like ears popping that made him sit up straight.

Yuri had been bored but he did raise and maintain wards around the palace like he had been taught. 

Something was shredding the outermost barrier like it was fucking paper.

Yuri scrambled out of his bed and was out of his room just as the first screams were heard in the distance.

There was a guard just outside his room.

“Which is the safest room in the palace?” Yuri demanded.

“The throne room, its at the centre and most carefully guarded” the guard faltered at another scream in the distance.

“Go get the royal family and move them to the throne room. I’ll meet you there.” the guard thankful for some direction took off.

Yuri made his way to the throne room silently trying to reinforce the next barrier while hastily constructing a heavier one for around the throne room. 

He met the royal family at the door of the throne room with the first guard and several other guards who looked as nervous and Yuri felt..

“Get the family into the throne room. I’ll go with them. Do your best to hold the door but I’ll hold the line if whatever is coming gets past you.” Yuri tried to sound more confident than he felt.

“I’ll stay with you” The guard from the hall said.

Yuri nodded as they ushered the frightened King, Queen and Princess into the throne room. The guard dropped a bar to lock the door.

Yuri thought about telling him how useless that was but decided against it. Let the guard think he could help.

But Yuri knew the truth.

Whatever was coming was magical and malicious and only Yuri stood between it and the royal family.

The last ward went up as a physical barrier but Yuri was not confident that it would hold.

The second ward hurt going down. 

Yuri physically winced from the malice coming off whatever it was in waves.

He put as much of his magic as he dared into the final ward but he couldn’t put it all in. If the ward went down (and Yuri was now thinking that was very possible) he couldn’t be depleted.

The screams of the guards were getting closer but underneath the screaming was a mix of hisses and creaks and groans and that Yuri couldn’t place. 

The Crown Princess, Mari, stood in front of her parents. She’d grabbed a sword from somewhere and was clearly going to defend her parents to the death. The guard drew his sword as well.

Which was good because on the other side of the doors Yuri felt an unimaginable power pull back and slam against the barrier. 

The ward held but barely.

The sound of the impact reverberated throughout the throne room.

Another impact and the ward cracked even as Yuri grit his teeth, trying desperately to hold it together.

A third impact and Yuri fell to his knees as the ward disintegrated.

The doors burst inward off their hinges and a figure walked over the fallen doors with a smile on his face. 

No one moved for a moment as they stared at the creature in front of them. 

He appeared to be a young man with dark hair and black eyes. He had blue roses wrapped around him and what looked liked vines pulsed beneath his skin. A large bloom had burst from his cheek which added to his beauty while at the same time it made your skin crawl. 

“Hello little ones. I’m taking over the palace” the figure said as he stepped down from the doors. Behind him vines of roses snaked around the doorframe, climbing over the walls.

Yuri recognised the man. 

But what could make him into this?

Yuri forced himself to his feet but the guard raced past him with his sword drawn.

“WAIT!” Yuri called but it was two late. 

With a flick of his hand the rose demon knocked the guard across the room. He didn’t even look as he gestured his hand and the vines wrapped around the guard. Cocooning him in roses. 

“Stay back” Yuri put himself between the demon and the royal family. But the man seemed to be distracted by something behind them.

They hastily stepped to the side as the man walked past them, vines of roses crawling across the floor after him. Yuri hastily threw up a shield around himself and the royal family. The roses crawled around the shield but that didn’t feel any safer.

They watched the man walk up the steps to the thrones and past them to stare up at a portrait of the royal family. It was an old one, done when the crown princess was just a girl, standing next to her brother who, as Yuri understood it, was away at school.

The anticipation was killing Yuri, especially with the disturbing sounds of the roses climbing over the walls and ceiling.

“What do you want!” he yelled to break the awful silence.

The man turned with a smirk.

“What do I want? I want justice” the man said stepping back around to in front of the thrones.

“Justice? You think that’s what this is? Sorcerer Nikiforov is going to kick your ass” because sure Yuri was going to be better than that geezer someday but even he could acknowledge that someday was not yet. 

The demon laughed. 

“You think Victor’s going to come help you? You should know better than to rely on others child. In fact consider this a gift. I’m showing you a great truth. You can’t rely on anyone. All others do is let you down and lie to you”  he sat gracefully on the King’s throne, “Isn't that right  _ mother?” _  the creature directed that last to the Queen, his tone spiteful and angry.

Behind Yuri the Queen gasped. 

“Yuuri!” 

“Yuuri is dead.” The man spat, “He died when you decided to lie and abandon him. You can call me…” he paused and caught Yuri’s eye and smiled, “You can call me Beast. That’s what you made me into after all. Now. I’m bored.”

The monster held out a hand and the roses climbed over the shield, squeezing in on all sides. Yuri held up his hands, desperately trying to keep the shield up. The roses put more pressure and more.

Yuri was tired. 

He hadn’t slept enough.

He’d had three wards broken on him. One of which took most of his magic.

He was tired and had already burned through his surplus.

Which is why when the roses squeezed in again the shield broke and he fell. 

For a moment the roses rushed in on all sides and Yuri fully expected all four of them to be crushed.

But they weren’t.

He opened his eyes to see the roses had instead formed a cage around them. It was cramped but it really could have been worse. 

But why hadn’t the monster killed them?


	11. Truths will out

Yakov yawned after arriving in the village square he’d last seen Vitya in. He’d been alarmed by both the urgency of his former students letter and by the vagueness of it.

He was just trying to decide whether or not to retire to the inn until tomorrow to gather his strength when the early morning calm was shattered by a wagon rolling into the square at top speed.

A young man jumped from the wagon as soon as it rolled to a stop and ran straight for the doctor’s door. Pounding on it like his life depended upon it.

“Doctor Taylor! Doctor Taylor! You’re needed at the Manor! It’s an emergency!” the young man yelled which really caught Yakov’s attention. 

He approached the boy.

“What’s wrong at the Manor?” he asked perhaps a bit too harshly. The boy shot him an irritated glance but then ignored him in favour of pounding on the door again. Yakov grabbed the boy by the shoulder and turned him.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me! My former student is staying at that manor!” Yakov snapped.

The boy had been looking ready to spit nails but at Yakov’s words his eyes widened and he went back to the slightly wild eyed panic.

“You must be Victor’s teacher I…” the boy ran his hand through his hair in frustration, “I don’t really know  _ what's _ happening. I just know our master is gone and Victor has lost his memory again. That’s why we need the doctor.” Yakov felt his stomach drop.

“Did he run out of his medication again?”  

“No!” the boy shook his head violently, “We even made sure he took his morning tablet to see i that would help but it’s not working and we don’t know why!” the boy turned away from Yakov again to pound on the door.

“Doctor Taylor! We NEED your help!” 

The door opened finally.

It didn’t take long to get the doctor up to speed and he and Yakov were soon on the way back to the manor in the wagon.

The atmosphere was tense. The boy, Phichit, explained what little he knew but there were too many gaps.

Once at the manor the boy led the doctor and Yakov to the parlour. Victor was there, anxious and muttering to himself the way he always did when the condition had control. 

Doctor Taylor tsked and immediately went to work. Yakov helped him convince Victor to drink the potion he created which was apparently a stronger medication for Victor’s condition.

“It’ll take a little while before it kicks in. I just don’t know what triggered such an extreme reaction.” the good doctor sounded as frustrated as Yakov felt.

“It probably had something to do with the possession.” a new voice added. Doctor Taylor perked up and hurried over to greet the grey haired women with a kiss to her cheek.

“Possession?” Yakov asked. 

Madam Taylor nodded solemnly. 

“I was attending to the birth when I felt it’s evil reach out to take hold of a vessel. It’s the most evil thing I have felt. Even my attending spirits were shaken and afraid.” the woman explained.

“And the only one who is missing is the master of the house. He must have been the one the spirit possessed” and Yakov felt bad for man. He didn’t know him but spirit possession was something he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy.

“What does that mean? What do you mean Yuuri’s possessed!?” now that was a voice from Yakov’s past. Which meant he did know who the man was and he felt even worse.

“Minako” he tilted his head respectfully, “is the leg I made you still holding up?” 

“Yes it’s fine” she snapped irritably, her body tense, “Now what the hell happened to Yuuri?” she demanded.

Yakov was trying to figure out how to explain it to her when someone else beat him to it.

“I failed him,” Victor said quietly from where he sat, his face pale as he stared at his clasped hands, “I should have seen the risks. I should have had a witch come and check for malignant spirits. Someone that powerful and in that much pain was going to attract the damn things.”

“You couldn’t have known” Yakov said as gently as he could.

“Couldn’t I?” Victor spat, finally making eye contact, “Phichit did Yuuri keep a diary?”

“Yes?”

“Go fetch the last one from the old house and the first one from here.” Victor commanded.

Phichit looked at Minako who nodded, sending the young man running off into the manor.

“Yakov,” Victor asked slowly as they waited, breaking the tense silence, “Why didn’t you notice that Yuuri was a sorcerer?” 

Yakov frowned. The prince was a sorcerer? That’s impossible! He would have noticed...except he wouldn’t would he? Yakov cursed himself.

“I’m sorry Victor I didn’t see the boy after your accident. My only concern at the time was you and your recovery. Afterwards I asked after the boy and was told he was cursed but that the family was doing what they could. I didn’t even think to investigate deeper.” in hindsight it had definitely been an issue of tunnel vision. But could you blame him? His students were his children and Victor’s accident had broken his heart and terrified him.

Victor looked unsurprised but didn’t comment. 

Phichit returned quickly and handed the notebooks to Victor who quickly flicked through them. He made a sound of pain and frustration after a while before looking up at the group.

“I was right. Before the move he’s lonely and scared and frustrated but after the move there’s a change. He has so called ‘thoughts’ about harming the people around him after he moved here. Thoughts that alarmed and frightened him. Thoughts about wanting to punish those who have wronged him in some way. I wouldn’t be surprised if those only grew more frequent as he lived here” Victor closed the book in his hand with a snap, “there was a malignant spirit attached to this house and it’s been slowly working on Yuuri and I stood by and did nothing”

Victor got up to pace the room. 

“I still don’t understand” Minako said looking at the others for guidance. The midwife, Madam Taylor, sighed. 

“There are three types of spirits. The helpful ones who seek to help and do good things simply because it helps, neutral spirits who mostly ignore humanity but can be convinced to help for a price, and finally malignant spirits who seek to actively harm humans. Mostly they can’t do anything but whisper lies and hatred into the minds of their targets. Their goal is always death. Either to drive a person to murder or to take their own life. If it’s a particularly strong spirit it might be able to convince a person to let them in so they can possess them. In which case they will murder as many humans as they can before their host dies.”

“The real worry,” Madam Taylor continued, “is if they can possess a person with magical abilities. They are usually the source of the wicked witches and wizards that curse people. But that’s nothing compared to a possessed sorcerer. They are the stuff of nightmares” 

A silence fell over the room, broken only by the sound of Victor’s pacing.

“How do we stop it? How do we free Yuuri?” Minako asked, causing Yakov to look away.

“There is only one way to stop the spirit once it’s possessed a person” 

“Yes? And that is?”

“You kill the host”

The silence this time went on for longer before it was broken by Minako’s tears.

“I’m so sorry” Yakov started before Victor dropped a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait. There might be another way” Yakov shook his head at Victor’s hopeful proclamation.

“Victor I know you hate these cases but it never works-”

“No but don’t you see? Everyone in the manor is still alive!”

That did cause Yakov to pause thoughtfully. Doctor and Midwife Taylor shared a look of shock as well.

Even Minako stopped crying though she looked mostly confused.

“If the spirit is in complete control of the host it would not have left anyone here alive. They thrive on death. But if Yuuri has yet to draw blood then we have a chance” Victor was smiling again as hope radiated off of him.

“It’s too risky” Yakov frowned.

“Please just let me try,” Victor begged, “I believe Yuuri can defeat this thing. Just give me a chance to talk to him” 

Yakov sighed heavily but nodded.

He owed both of them this chance.


	12. Confrontation

Yuri didn’t understand what was going on but he knew he needed to get out and get a message to Yakov.

Clearly the prince was possessed and Yuri knew what that meant but he didn’t have a hope of defeating the monster. Not on his own anyway.

What he didn’t understand was why he and the royal family were still alive.

The monster sat drumming his fingers on the arm of the throne.

“What happened to my brother?” the crown princess asked quietly. Yuri bit his lip.

“Possession is my guess. This is out of my class. I need to contact Yakov” Yuri whispered back, “But if I try anything he’ll notice and stop it.”

The Princess chewed her lip for a moment.

“What if I distract him? I still have my sword.” she offered. Now it was Yuri’s turn to hesitate.

“It’s risky. He might kill all of us.” Yuri pointed out.

“Do we have other options?” she asked.

His silence was enough of an answer.

She nodded and motioned that she would be at the other end of their little cage waiting his signal.

Yuri waited until she moved to dig out a bit of paper and a pencil to jot down a note for Yakov. Once he was done he nodded. She met his nod with one of her own and drew her sword, attacking the roses.

“Really?” the Monster drawled, “You think you can escape?” For every vine she cut through another took its place.

Behind her Yuri gathered his magic and whispered the spell that would send his letter to Yakov. The Monster’s head whipped around as vines surrounded Yuri, pulling him from the cage and pinning him to the floor. 

“What did you do you little brat? Call for help?” The Monster spat as the vines pushed Yuri more into the floor, “Do you actually believe anyone is going to help you?” The vines were cutting into his flesh causing him to hiss in pain.

“No one is helping you” the Monster crossed his legs resting his cheek against one of his fists, as if he was terribly amused by Yuri who grit his teeth to keep from crying out.

“I don’t think that’s quite right” a familiar voice called from the fallen doors. 

All eyes turned to the doorway where Victor stood, his silver hair shining in the dim light of the throne him. He started walking towards the throne, his eyes on the Monster and the monster alone.

“Oh Yuuri” Yuri heard Victor breathe as he passed him on the floor, “What did it do to you” 

Victor got about halfway into the room before the vines stopped him. Rose thorns wrapped around his legs and shot out of the vines covering the floor to wrap around his arms, holding him in place.

“Nikiforov. I should have known you’d be the one to arrive. Still think you can save the day?” the Monster on the throne sneered.

Victor didn’t even fight the vines of roses holding him in place.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. You can fight this” Victor spoke quietly, his blue eyes staring intensely at the thing on the throne.

The Monster laughed. 

“You really think that’ll work?” it mocked.

“Excuse me,” Victor replied, his voice and gaze turning cold as ice, “I wasn’t talking to  _ you _ I was talking to Yuuri”

The monster opened its mouth to say something before it suddenly groaned, leaning forward and gripping the arms of the throne tightly. What looked up next was frightened and pale and undeniably human. 

“Victor,” Yuuri gasped, “It hurts”

“I know love, I know but fight it! You can fight it!”

“I didn’t want this! I didn’t want any of this!” Yuuri sobbed, “I was just so angry and hurt but I don’t want to hurt anyone!” Yuuri’s face twisted with pain and he curled into himself.

“I know my love, I know. It lied to you but you can fight it! If anyone has a chance of fighting its you!”

The Monster was the one who looked up next.

“He’s MINE. Already his will is crumbling! Soon he won’t be able to resist me and when that happens I’m going to kill you first Nikiforov. Nice and slowly” the Monster sneered before the body spasmed again. The Prince’s body writhed in agony as he fought with the spirit controlling his body.

“You can resist Yuuri! You’re the strongest person I know!” Victor pulled against his bonds. 

“I can’t hold on for much longer,” Yuuri’s voice was rough, “How do we stop it?”

“You-” Yuri began from where he was pinned to the floor but stopped at the look Victor shot him.

“Tell me please” Yuuri begged in a broken voice.

“Kill the host” Yuri finished looking away.

Yuuri’s eyes met Victor’s.

“No” Victor’s voice cracked with tears.

“If it’s the only way then you must.” Yuuri replied forcing himself to stand. “But allow me one thing first”

Yuuri took a step forward and a rose vine burst from the ground spearing Yuuri through the arm, causing the young man to cry out in pain. 

**_“No!”_ **

The voice seemed to come from the room at large. Unlike the roses that wove themselves through Yuuri’s body when he was possessed this was an attack. His arm bled from where it was pierced, holding him in place.

Yuuri winced but ripped his arm away from vine before staggering forward, his injured arm held to his chest. He got a handful of steps forward before another vine pierced his thigh causing him to scream. But even as he screamed he forced himself to step forward ripping his leg away from the vine. 

There was so much blood dripping with every limping step.

**_“You can’t have him!”_** the voice screamed in the air as multiple vines shot from the surroundings to stab Yuuri all over. In his arm, his legs and his side.

Victor was struggling against the vines holding him now, tears running down his face. Yuuri was so close, so close! If only he could reach him! 

Yuuri had stopped moving, his head hung low and his breathing was shallow. Slowly he reached a hand up and ripped away the vine that was piercing his side. His head rolled back as he gasped through the pain, his hand pressing against the bleeding wound. He took two deep breaths before ripping his other arm away from the vine holding it. He met Victor’s eyes and forced himself to walk forward, ripping the other vines out in the process.

He staggered forward, catching himself on the vines holding Victor in place. He slowly lifted his bloody hands to cradle Victor’s face.

“If I have to die” he began in a quiet but steady voice.

“Yuuri-” Victor’s voice was broken, his face a picture of grief, but Yuuri shushed him.

“If I have to die I have one thing I want to do first” and with that Yuuri brought their lips together in a small, chaste kiss.

Magic is a strange, fickle, thing. 

It is only fitting that the strongest magic is also the most fickle. It usually doesn’t work no matter how sure the people performing it are that it would.

True Love’s Kiss.

The truth is it only works when the person kissing has no idea that it’s an option. When it’s a kiss given only out of love, not to break a spell.

Yuuri did not know about true love’s kiss.

But he did love Victor with all his heart.

Victor felt it take effect as soon as the kiss ended. Yuuri rocked back, his head falling back on his shoulders as an unholy, unnatural scream echoed throughout the hall and a bright light seemed to surround the prince. 

Those in the hall could hear the next effect before they saw it. A surrussus. The cause became evident as the rose vines crumbled to dust around them. It began on the edges of the room before finishing at Yuuri, the epicenter of the roses. 

Victor felt them disintegrate around him, freeing him. But he didn’t move, too entranced by what he was seeing in front of him.

The light around Yuuri had focused on the rose vines covering him and as Victor watched the vines melted away, leaving a pattern of rose vines and blossoms in light brown, like an old tattoo on Yuuri’s skin. The lights spun around Yuuri one last time leaving behind healed wounds before flying away. 

Then Victor moved to catch Yuuri as he collapsed, helping him to the floor of the throne room, his head cradled in Victor’s lap. For a long moment everything was silent. 

Yuuri groaned and opened his eyes, 

“Victor?” he asked.

“I’m here love, and you’re okay. It’s gone, it’s gone. I knew you could do it” and Victor could hear the tears in his own voice but he didn’t care. All that mattered was that he had Yuuri here in his arms. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry” Yuuri cried, curling his body into Victor’s, “I didn’t know. I didn’t want to hurt anyone” 

“I know love, I know. And you didn’t. You  _ didn’t _ . You kept it from hurting anyone really. And I’m sorry, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you as soon as I found out. I swear I only found out hours before you did. I was just as angry and hurt and I promise I never lied to you.” Victor held Yuuri like he was going to vanish and Yuuri closed his eyes and just cried. 

Because of course Victor would never lie to him. He had never ever lied to Yuuri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two chapter update, and the story is finally finished!


	13. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapter update! Make sure you read "Confrontation" before this chapter

Yuuri stood in front of the mirror, a frown on his lips.

Warm arms wrapped themselves around his waist and Victor hooked his chin over Yuuri’s shoulder.

“Don’t let it get to you love. It doesn’t change how beautiful you are.”

Yuuri sighed and let himself lean back into Victor’s warmth.

“I just hate the reminder of what it made me into,” Yuuri reached up to trace the outline of the bloom on his cheek. “How weak I am”

Victor hummed and squeezed him a little.

“That’s not what I see” he supplied, “I see a reminder of how strong you were when faced with a power most people would succumb to. You didn’t kill a single person despite it fighting with you every step of the way. You are the only person to successfully fight against a possession. These marks are a symbol of your strength. And I love them like I love you” Victor kissed his cheek, at the center of the rose.

Yuuri smiled and then sighed.

“What’s really bothering you love?” Victor asked softly.

“Seeing my family again.” He admitted. 

Things were better with his family, they explained their choices and while Yuuri still didn't agree with what they did he at least understands why. But it was still awkward.

Which is why he chose to live in a separate home with Victor. 

It wasn't the manor in the woods where they fell in love nor Victor’s lonely tower. But a place a days ride from the castle. It was actually one of Lady Minako's properties. It was isolated enough to keep Yuuri from feeling too anxious but close enough to people that they weren’t isolated. 

Everyone from the old manor including Minako came with them. There were no need for other staff in the much smaller home they shared and their friends were determined to stay close. It actually felt like being surrounded by family.

“I know it’s still...awkward. But they love you and I know you love them, and more importantly I’ll be there every moment” 

Yuuri hummed in acknowledgement but he frowned again as he brought up his left hand to trace the rose blossom on his cheek. 

“Did I tell you I caught the triplets in Minako’s makeup the other day?” Victor asked as he gently turned Yuuri around to face him.

“No? What were they doing?” Yuuri couldn’t help but smile, imagining the destruction the trio could cause.

“Well they were using her eye liner and lipsticks to draw roses on each other’s faces” Victor told him with a pointed look.

“They...what?” Yuuri stared at his lover in shock.

“They think you’re beautiful Yuuri. They want to be just like you. And well they should because you  _ are  _ beautiful. Honestly? I sometimes hate the reminder that I failed you. That you suffered for so long. But I’m also able to see it as a testament of your strength. Would I prefer you not to carry the scars? Yes. But only in as much as I wish you had never had your strength so tested. Not because I find you any less beautiful or weak or however you mind wants to twist it.”

“I…” Yuuri stopped and took a shaking breath, too overcome by Victor’s speech.

“I am with you Yuuri. Always. Never forget that” Victor whispered as he gathered Yuuri into a tight hug.

“I know love,” Yuuri managed to answer as he hugged Victor back just as tightly. “I know. I’m with you too”

They stood holding each other for a long moment.

“Let’s go greet your family now.” Victor said finally pulling away, relieved to see Yuuri smiling back at him.

They left hand in hand to face the world, determined to live happily ever after.

And they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! it's finally finished!  
> I hope you enjoyed this little story :)


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